Hartford Players Show Off Their Moves At Fundraiser

Comedy, Storytelling On The Menu At Annual Event

WEST HARTFORD – Nate Sikma, a sophomore forward on the Hartford men's basketball team, spent time Friday night working the room at Hartford Golf Club, playfully bragging about his ability to impersonate coach John Gallagher.

Later, he was handed a microphone and delivered.

"Hey, how ya doin'?" Sikma began in a dead-on imitation of Gallagher's voice.

A crowd of about 200, including Gallagher, broke into laughter.

Hawks players put their personalities on display during the team's annual "Draft Night" banquet at Hartford Golf Club, a fundraising event that brought more than $25,000 into the program. For the fifth consecutive year, players donned their sharpest attire and made the rounds in a room full of season ticket holders and donors, trying to convince tables to place bids for selected players' company during dinner.

For instance, those at table 3 clearly enjoyed chatting with Sikma and freshman forward Antoine Burrell during frenzied introductions, a process much like speed dating, where pairs of players visit each table for two minutes at a time and talk about their interests, backgrounds, families and off-court talents.

For a bid of $1,000 — "We've got a dime!" Gallagher exclaimed during the auction — table 3 secured the company of Sikma and Burrell for the rest of the evening.

Earlier, those in attendance learned this: Sophomore guard Yolonzo Moore could teach people how to say their name in sign language, junior forward Oren Faulk's mother is a cancer survivor, junior forward Glenn Akerland's father is a private investigator and retired police officer, freshman forward Parker U'u's parents both work for FedEx, Burrell is reminded of his hometown of The Colony, Texas, when he visits Blue Back Square, and more.

"My name is Corban Wroe and I'm from Brisbane, Australia," the sophomore forward said. "It's a lot warmer than it is here. In the past year, I've seen a flood, a hurricane, a snowstorm and now there's been a little earthquake."

Can the Hawks shake things up a little in the America East? Last season, Hartford lost its first 13 games before going 9-9 down the stretch, defeating Boston University in the conference tournament before losing to eventual champion Vermont in a double-overtime semifinal. The Hawks return three starters, the sophomore nucleus of Sikma, Moore and Mark Nwakamma.

"To start out 0-13, I wasn't blinking, but you're looking around wondering if [players] are blinking," said Gallagher, entering his third season. "They didn't. I'm glad they got to enjoy [the late-season success], and we do have momentum going into this year."

President Walt Harrison, athletic director Pat Meiser, other members of university administration and women's coach Jen Rizzotti attended. Those on hand were amused by stories about players' backgrounds in Australia, Texas, Wisconsin and Oklahoma, among other places, and Gallagher was asked during a question-and-answer session about the prospect of eventually getting top Connecticut high school players to consider the program.

"I'm in the middle of eating my dessert," she joked before explaining that she didn't always find it easy to recruit in-state players. Rizzotti, entering her 14th season, has turned Hartford into one of the nation's premier mid-major programs, reaching the NCAA Tournament six times. The men's team has never been to the NCAAs.

"When I started here, I couldn't get Connecticut kids," Rizzotti said. "There are perceptions. It took me [several] years before Erica Beverly [of Bridgeport] took a chance on us. We had some success, and now the perception of the program has grown dramatically. Kids in Connecticut will be knocking down [Gallagher's] door in a few years."

Hartford opens the season Nov. 10 against Quinnipiac in the Connecticut 6 Classic at Chase Family Arena. The Hawks begin conference play Jan. 2 at home against Binghamton.

"We're coming," Gallagher said. "I can't tell you how many wins that means. But we're coming. We're becoming the metal bat. We're not the Wiffle bat of the America East anymore."